Royal Artillery to Take UAV to Afghanistan

UK Ministry of Defence, Soldiers from 32nd Regiment Royal Artillery are preparing to deploy to Afghanistan shortly with an unusual piece of equipment – an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). 
 
Around seventy men and women from 18 (Quebec 1759) Battery, 32nd Regiment Royal Artillery based at Roberts Barracks, Larkhill in Wiltshire, will deploy alongside soldiers from 16 Air Assault Brigade, taking with them the Desert Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). 
 
Desert Hawk is a portable UAV surveillance system which provides aerial video reconnaissance. It has a flight time of approximately one hour, and can fly anywhere within a 10km radius of its ground control station. It has both day and night time (thermal imaging) capability. The equipment can be used for a variety of tasks, such as force protection for convoys and patrols, route clearance, base security, reconnaissance or target tracking. 
 
Soldiers from 32nd Regiment, which has served continually in Iraq since March 2003 using the Phoenix tactical UAV, have recently been trialling the new Desert Hawk system in California. Now they are ready to deploy and are well prepared. Captain Nick Newton said: 
 
“18 Battery is deploying to Afghanistan in support of the Helmand Task Force. The Regiment has plenty of recent operational experience under its belt and is looking forward to contributing to the coalition efforts in Afghanistan.” 
 
32nd Regiment Royal Artillery is the Army's only Unmanned aerial Vehicle (UAV) regiment. It deploys to Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick. Operation Herrick is the creation of a 9,000-strong Multi-National Brigade (South), led by the Canadians, which will be centered on the southern Afghan province of Helmand. Other contributing nations include Estonia, Romania, and the United States, who will eventually withdraw to concentrate on other operations. 
 
The UK mission in Afghanistan aims to support the democratically elected Afghan Government to improve the lives of ordinary Afghans. This is true for all aspects of the UK Government